After their breakfast together, Wendy began gathering her things while Joy lingered over one last cup of coffee.

"You sure you don't want to just hang out here and relax a bit more?" Wendy offered as she did one last check of her sports duffel containing her skates, makeup kit, competition attire, and snacks. "I can let you know when my event is going to start, if you'd rather join up later."

Joy waved her off, stifling a yawn behind her mug. "Nah, I'll be fine. You've got your whole pre-competition routine to run through first. I'll keep myself occupied and then head on over once you're in the thick of things."

Nodding, Wendy shouldered her bag and crossed over to give Joy's and gave her a hug. "Sounds good. I'll see you in a few hours then, yeah?"

"You know it." Joy placed her mug on the table and squeezed Wendy hard. "I'll be right there in the front row cheering for you every step of the way. Knock 'em dead out there."

Giving Joy one last squeeze, she stepped back with a smile. "You'd better have your loudest, most obnoxious cheering then."

Joy made a rude noise, shooing Wendy away with a laugh. "Oh please, when have I never cheered for you? Now get going already before I have to physically throw you out of here!"

Laughing herself now, Wendy blew an exaggerated kiss towards the other woman. "Love you too, you big goof. See you soon!"

With that, she was out the door and headed towards the town car waiting to carry her to the arena hosting this year's Grand Prix Final. Wendy looked out the window as the driver pulled away. She couldn't wait for her event to start but there was still plenty of time till then.

When she looked up ahead, the arena came into view. Swallowing hard, Wendy straightened in her seat as the driver pulled into the parking complex reserved for athletes and staff. This was it - go time.

Once inside, Wendy was immediately swallowed up by the controlled chaos of the Grand Prix Final preparations. Ushers in official uniforms whisked her through a series of corridors towards the women's locker room, making sure she was checked in and received her credentials.

Eventually, Wendy made it into the privacy of the locker room area, where she began removing her street clothes and changing into her first costume of the day. With her hair secured back into its trademark tight bun, she couldn't resist doing a little twirl in front of the mirror, watching the fabric swish around her legs.

She knew the first official practice group wouldn't be for another hour, giving her time to go through her full pre-competition routine. Right on cue, her phone buzzed with a new text from her coach.

Made it to the arena and getting set up with the team. We'll see you out on the ice in an hour for your first run-through, yeah? Don't forget to stay hydrated and keep those legs loose!

Smiling at her coach's instructions, Wendy quickly tapped out an affirmative reply. She tucked her phone away and slipped in her airpods before she queued up the playlist she specifically made for competition day.

As the music filled her ears, she could already feel her body relaxing into the zone. Grabbing her skates, Wendy exited the locker room and made her way to the competition arena to find her team.

The competition arena was already busy despite the main events being hours away still. Television crews were putting the final touches on their rinkside setups, arena staffers rushed this way and that making last-minute preparations, and other skaters beginning to filter out for those precious few practice sessions.

Joy made a rude noise, shooing Wendy away with a laugh. "Oh please, when have I never cheered for you? Now get going already before I have to physically throw you out of here!"

Laughing herself now, Wendy blew an exaggerated kiss towards the other woman. "Love you too, you big goof. See you soon!"

With that, she was out the door and headed towards the town car waiting to carry her to the arena hosting this year's Grand Prix Final. Wendy looked out the window as the driver pulled away. She couldn't wait for her event to start but there was still plenty of time till then. 

When she looked up ahead, the arena came into view. Swallowing hard, Wendy straightened in her seat as the driver pulled into the parking complex reserved for athletes and staff. This was it - go time.

Once inside, Wendy was immediately swallowed up by the controlled chaos of the Grand Prix Final preparations. Ushers in official uniforms whisked her through a series of corridors towards the women's locker room, making sure she was checked in and received her credentials.

Eventually, Wendy made it into the privacy of the locker room area, where she began removing her street clothes and changing into her first costume of the day. With her hair secured back into its trademark tight bun, she couldn't resist doing a little twirl in front of the mirror, watching the fabric swish around her legs. 

She knew the first official practice group wouldn't be for another hour, giving her time to go through her full pre-competition routine. Right on cue, her phone buzzed with a new text from her coach.

Made it to the arena and getting set up with the team. We'll see you out on the ice in an hour for your first run-through, yeah? Don't forget to stay hydrated and keep those legs loose!

Smiling at her coach's instructions, Wendy quickly tapped out an affirmative reply. She tucked her phone away and slipped in her airpods before she queued up the playlist she specifically made for competition day.

As the music filled her ears, she could already feel her body relaxing into the zone. Grabbing her skates, Wendy exited the locker room and made her way to the competition arena to find her team.

The competition arena was already busy despite the main events being hours away still. Television crews were putting the final touches on their rinkside setups, arena staffers rushed this way and that making last-minute preparations, and other skaters beginning to filter out for those precious few practice sessions.

She was trying to find her team when a flash of movement in the stands caught her eye. There, seated alongside her teammates and coaching staff, was Irene. The Russian skater was leaning in close, having an intense discussion with her longtime partner Vladimir and their coaches.

Despite the setting, Irene still managed to exude a powerful aura and control. Her light-blonde hair was pulled back into a knot, accentuating the sharp lines of her face. Even from a distance, Wendy could make out the piercing intensity of those crystal blue eyes, narrowed in focused concentration as she listened to what appeared to be instructions from her coaches.

Irene was nodding along, supposedly agreeing to what her coaches were saying. Vladimir looked equally dialed in beside her, both of them the picture of professionalism and commitment to their craft.

As if suddenly aware of Wendy's heated stare boring into her, Irene turned her head slightly and the briefest of smiles seemed to flicker over those perfect features. She  gave the slightest of nods in acknowledgment before turning her focus back to her coaches. But Wendy could have sworn she saw the Russian's eyes linger on her for just a second longer than necessary.

A shiver that had nothing to do with the cool arena air raced down Wendy's spine. She swallowed hard, trying to push aside the sudden rush of awareness she seemed to feel whenever Irene was around.

"Wendy! Over here!"

The sound of her name snapped Wendy out of her daze. She blinked rapidly, watching as her coach waved her over to where the rest of Team Canada had gathered.  With one last furtive glance towards Irene and the Russian team's huddle, she made her way over to her team.

"There you are," her coach said as Wendy joined the circle. "I was just going over the schedule for today's practice times before the events."

"Sorry," Wendy said, joining the group as she pulled out her airpods. "I just got here. I was trying to find you guys and got a little lost." She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, loosening up.

"That's alright. We're early anyways," her coach replied with a wave of her hand. "This place is a maze if you've never been here before."

"You're  slotted for the 10am practice session," her coach said. "So you'll want to start your warm-up soon before you get ready for your practice session in about twenty minutes. That'll give you a chance to get a final feel for the main ice before your short program this afternoon."

Wendy nodded, mentally going through her routine. One last turn on the competition surface to make any last-minute tweaks and visualize her programs before it was showtime for the short program just hours later. 

Her gaze flickered over to where Irene and the Russians were still deep in discussion. Irene looked absolutely stunning even when she wasn't doing anything. But then Wendy noticed Irene place her hand on Vladimir's shoulder as she leaned in close, saying something to him with an intense look. Wendy's eyes narrowed involuntarily, not liking the overly familiar scene one bit.

"...Wendy? Did you catch all that?"

She snapped her head back towards her coach, realizing she had zoned out momentarily. "Sorry, what was that last part?"

Her coach sighed, giving her a patient look. "I said after your practice we'll grab a quick bite, then you'll want to rest up before heading back for the short program later this afternoon." Her eyes narrowed as she studied Wendy's expression. "You're looking a little distracted, kiddo. Everything okay?"

Wendy felt her cheeks flush slightly. "Yeah...yeah, everything's fine," she said quickly, forcing a reassuring smile. "Just managing all the nerves before my first Grand Prix Final skate."

"Well, let's stay focused, all right?" her coach replied firmly. "I don't want any...distractions throwing you off your game right before you get out there."

With an imperceptible nod towards Irene and the Russians, her coach made it clear she had noticed where Wendy's attention had wandered. Wendy swallowed hard, giving her coach an apologetic look before centering herself.

"You're right, coach. My head's here - let's do this thing."

Her coach sighed, giving Wendy a long measured look before continuing. "Alright, want to take me through your planned warmup?"

"Definitely," Wendy replied easily, not a hint of first trickle nerves in her tone. "I'm feeling really centered today and want to just keep riding this headspace as long as I can." She quickly outlined the sequence of spins and jumps she had mapped out to properly fire up her muscles while avoiding burnout.

Her coach listened intently, occasionally jotting a note on the tip sheet she always kept tucked in her jacket's pocket. When Wendy finished, the older woman gave an affirming nod. "Looks perfect as always. You know the drill - start building slowly from your warmup, really get that lactic acid pumping."

Her coach continued, "Maybe focus nailing those triple-triples and being solid on the footwork sequences. I want you leaving the